1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to the installation of radiant floor heating in a dwelling or commercial building and, in particular, to a tool for rapid installation of tubing within channels of flooring.
2. Description of Related Art
Radiant floor heating (RFH) comprises tubing installed in channels of flooring which may be made of wood boards or artificial radiant heating panels such as QUICK TRAK™ manufactured by Wirsbo Company of Apple Valley, Minn. It is commonly known in the art for an installation of RFH tubing to wear hard sole shoes and use the weight of the installer's body to press the tubing into the channels of the flooring. However, it is a common practice for installers to use a rubber mallet to hammer the tubing into the channels of the flooring. This installation technique is very time consuming and tiresome for installers.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,614,347 issued Sep. 30, 1986 to Michael D. Wenzel discloses a tool for installing floor coverings of the glued-down type such as carpet or linoleum. Retractable wheels and a pivotable, adjustable position handle enables the tool to be used as either a press, riding on glides that contact the floor covering, or as a hand truck for carrying the installer's tools and supplies. However, it is not suitable for the rapid installation of tubing in channels of flooring.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,879,491 issued Mar. 9, 1999 to Kiyoo Kobayashi discloses a method of installing a floor heating apparatus comprising positioning a tube assembly on an adhesive applied on a surface of a floor base structure so that the lower face of a base plate of the tube assembly is bonded to the floor base structure. A self leveling material is poured and extended on the tube assembly. By this method a number of floor heating pipes can be quickly and simply installed on a floor surface. This method does not require installing a single length of tubing in a channel.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,626,446 issued Sep. 30, 2003 to Hassan Yosef discloses a shopping cart comprising a chassis that supports a seat and comprises a plurality of wheels, a front section and a rear section wherein the rear section is swingably connected to the front section via an essentially vertical pivot that is disposed between a front section wheel pair and a rear section wheel pair in order to increase the maneuverability of the cart in narrow spaces. However, this apparatus does not disclose a pneumatic drive, plunger and hammer face for installing tubing.